Tether
by PiscesChikk
Summary: The voyage to Nassau to rescue Madi takes John Silver down a nostalgic path where secrets were revealed and he and Madi's burgeoning relationship took a huge turn.


A/N ~ I fell in love with these two characters after seeing gifsets of them on Tumblr and watching one episode of S4. I've only recently gotten acquainted with them so I hope I've gotten the characterizations correct. In my haste to finish and publish this, I didn't get a chance to have the story beta'd, so please forgive any grammar or spelling errors you may find. I hope you enjoy this one shot, and if you do please leave a comment. Thanks!

Disclaimer ~ None of these characters belong to me.

* * *

" _You're confident in his plan, maybe because it's a good plan. Maybe because it's the only plan. But maybe it's because if his plan don't succeed, you'll have to show him you're prepared for the failure…that the world ain't gonna be what he wanted…and the treasure he wanted left in the ground ain't in the ground no more."_

Israel's words played over and over in Silver's head as he paced slowly below deck. They were on a never ending loop like song lyrics on repeat. In his mind, he knew this day would come; the day when he and Flint would be on opposing ends of a cause that would test their alliance. And Silver knew, just as Israel suggested, that he'd have to make a choice to either yield to Flint's will or kill him.

Flint's assertion that Madi's life was of less importance than his war incensed him beyond reason. It sent his mind to dark places, made him contemplate things that would make an ordinary man shy away. A blind rage returned, much like what he'd felt the night he'd bashed Dufresne's skull in, and Silver himself was surprised at the depths he realized he'd go to to get Madi back - depths that made him realize how much she meant to him, how much he needed her, _loved_ her.

Silver had believed her dead, and the thought of a bleak life without her had haunted him day and night. Now that he knew she was alive, he wouldn't let Flint destroy the glimmer of hope that had sprung up inside him when it came to getting her back and out of Rogers' grasp. If Rogers wanted the cache for her release, he'd be more than happy to hand it over and let the consequences be damned.

He looked around the deserted deck, happy that he was alone. The hour was late, and the members of the crew who weren't deep in their cups with the few casks of rum they'd brought aboard the ship were trying to get a few hours' sleep before they reached Nassau. He was left alone to contemplate his thoughts.

His memories of every moment he shared with Madi wore heavily on him. He remembered her smile, how she smelled, the feel of her hair in his hands, and the taste of her mouth and skin. But more than that, he remembered how she was able to calm the demons that threatened to pull him under from time to time. She had been his only lifeline, his tether. The thing that kept him sane and grounded throughout the last weeks.

He knew she'd probably object to how he'd dug up the cache, but he was confident that she'd understand why he did what he did.

"Madi," he sighed, heavily. "I'm coming to get you."

* * *

 _Skull Island ~ Not Long Ago_

 _The water is so still tonight_ , Madi thought.

The quietness of the waves seemed to match the mood of the night, contributed to the secrecy that this short voyage called for. She looked at Silver's back as he sat a little ahead of her on a long boat as one of his men continued to row them across the short distance from Maroon Island. She studied the profile of his face as moonlight held him in half shadow and half light. He seemed pensive, though resolute even though he hadn't spoken since she'd agreed to come with him.

Kofi hadn't approved of it when she'd told him that she didn't need him to accompany her. Though he had trusted Silver a little more than he trusted Captain Flint, he'd been her guardian since she was just a girl, and he didn't want to let her out of his sight regardless of whose company she would be in. He trusted her however, more than anything, so when she told him she would be alright in Silver's care, he deferred to her judgment.

The shoreline ahead of them came into view, and Silver turned to face her. "We're here," he said.

His hand reached out for hers, and though it was rough and slightly calloused, there was warmth and tenderness there. It reminded her why she had been drawn to him from the start. Why she agreed to come here to Skull Island in the dead of night because he said he had something to show her.

Within minutes they'd reached the beach, and Silver's man secured the boat after he'd helped her out of it. He stayed behind as instructed, and she and Silver walked further in past the thick brush and into the pine forest ahead of them. They walked together for about five minutes, an oil lamp illuminating their path. The fragrance of damp earth beneath their feet travelled to her nostrils, and Madi could make out the faint smell of hibiscus nearby. The woodsy surroundings reminded her of Maroon Island.

"I know you've been wondering about why I brought us out here, and I'll come straight to the point. Flint brought me and Rackham here not too long ago. It was a night just like this, dark and late. It was just before the governor's men came to Maroon Island to attack us."

His uneven gait halted a few moments later just as they reached a small opening amongst a brush of bromeliads, gum trees and pine.

"Flint brought you here?" she asked. "Why?"

"It was a secret. One shared among friends, Rackham called it. One that Flint had been asked keep. It's a secret that only he and I and Jack Rackham know."

"And this secret…you're about to share it with me?"

"I am."

He took her hand again, twined his fingers through hers and led her to a spot where three huge rocks lay near a fallen log.

"Here in this spot is where the cache is buried."

Her eyes widened as she digested this information.

"Not even your mother knows the location of it despite the fact that it was she that instructed Flint to bury it. I think she wanted it hidden here because not only is it critical to the success of the war that lies ahead of us, but she wanted to cement the trust between all of the members in our alliance. She asked only that if Flint put the cache somewhere unbeknownst to her that I be made aware of its location."

"You have gained my mother's trust."

"If that is true, and I believe that it is, then as an equal member of this alliance, how could I not place that same belief in her daughter?"

"Does Flint know that you planned to tell me?"

"He doesn't. Nobody does. I decided on my own."

 _It was probably best that he hadn't_ , she thought.

Flint and Silver's friendship seemed volatile at times, and Madi wondered if Flint valued Silver as a real friend, or if he was simply using him to achieve his ever evolving objectives. He and Rackham might not take too kindly to this breach of their trust or that Silver was the one breaking it.

She had begun to feel very close to Silver within the last few weeks, that closeness had translated not only to trust, but to genuine affection. She felt happy knowing that like her, her mother now trusted him too.

Still she had to be cautious. She was still coming to terms with what was developing between them and the feelings for him that had started to take root inside her. Madi had seen the deepest parts of him, his vulnerability when he was sick and his frightening descent into darkness when he killed Dufresne. She was afraid of that part of him, afraid of how easily he'd been able to tap into that. But he was tender as well, surprisingly so and very gentle with her. She found herself seeking out that aspect of who he was more and more. Perhaps, she thought hopefully, his bringing her here tonight was an indication that he was feeling a lot closer to her too.

"Was that the only reason? To repay my mother's trust?"

She saw it then, even in the darkness, the emotions that had taken root within her flickering in the shallow of his eyes.

"No," he replied. "I just didn't want to keep this from you. Not something like this. I _couldn't_ keep it from you. You've become important to me, Madi, more important than I ever expected. I trust you more than I've trusted just about anybody in my life…and…this was just my small way of showing you that."

Madi felt as if the ground was rumbling beneath them, as if the winds around them were suddenly changing, and a force beyond her control was propelling her towards him. She let her feet take her where her body and mind already were. She moved closer, so close the folds of her skirt touched the fabric of his coat. He put the oil lamp down, set it near their feet. The light travelled upwards and cast his face in a soft glow.

"There have been other things that you've shown me since we have come to know each other, things that tell me the type of man that you are, the one I know you to be."

 _The type of man I could love._

A tide of emotions was urging her to give them a voice, to say the words, but she didn't. She raised a palm to his face instead and felt him relax against her touch. His hand came up to grip hers, and his eyes shut for a moment.

"You make me want to be a better man, Madi. Not just to be different from the man I used to be, but for you."

He exhaled a long breath before he leaned in, sliding a hand around her waist. Madi expelled a heated breath of her own right before his lips descended onto hers. The passionate way he spoke, moved, lived his life, was translated into his kiss. He wasn't holding back, and she took it all, returning all of the fire and heat he was giving her. He pulled her closer, molded her body to his as he angled his head to deepen his kiss.

Madi moved her arms around his shoulders, let her fingers toy with the tendrils of his hair and moaned. He gently coaxed her lips open, nipped and teased with teeth and tongue so that she could give him entry. And when she did, the sensation of his tongue when it slid over hers was the sweetest thing she'd ever felt. Madi felt warm, giddy, and under the spell of this man who elicited such pleasure from a simple kiss.

Silver told himself to slow down. Told himself that Madi was different, that she wasn't like any of the women he'd bedded. She wasn't a whore from one of the brothels he'd frequented in the past. She was a queen. Royalty. Majestic and strong, yet soft in a way he couldn't explain. He told himself that he had to take his time.

Just moments ago, he'd told her that he brought her here because he trusted her, that she made him want to be a better man. He didn't want to taint that statement by doing something that would totally contradict it. He didn't want to risk scaring her. Losing her.

Yet he couldn't move. It was agony to tear his lips away from hers, and it took great effort to do it. Even then he didn't completely let go, he stood still with her still in his arms and leaned his forehead against hers. He continued to hold her while he felt the rapid beating of his heart decelerate. The touch of her lips had sparked every nerve ending in him and had sent a rush of desire all through him before settling squarely between his legs.

He wanted her, badly. He knew she could feel it. Literally. But it wasn't the place, perhaps not the time, and he was prepared to wait because she was…different.

"We should go," she murmured, the first to break the heated silence. "Before someone realizes that we're gone."

He knew she was right and nodded his head. He tamped down the desire he felt and led her back to the shore.

Kofi's big frame could be seen on the beach just ahead as they approached Maroon Island. Silver smiled, thinking that Madi's beloved guardian was prepared to wait all night until she returned. He seemed relieved that she came back in one piece and helped her from the boat as soon as they docked. Satisfied that she was alright, he inclined his head in Silver's direction and nodded.

Silver turned to the crewman, repeated his instructions to not tell anyone where they'd gone and sent him back to his bed for the night. Up ahead, Madi seemed to be doing the same, and Kofi soon disappeared.

"Would you like to walk me back home?" she asked. The low timbre of her voice was inviting, sweet. He couldn't say no even if he wanted to. He fell in step beside her, not needing to give an answer, and they began to walk together.

* * *

 _Nassau ~ Present Day_

Madi moved to cradle her head on her arms on the floor of her cell, but the irons that held her wrists were making that incredibly difficult. She had never in her life been in chains until now, and she wasn't exactly sure just how long it had been since she'd first come here. It was an unfamiliar feeling to be treated like an animal, even more so to be locked up and caged like one. The painful ache near her temple had long subsided to a faint throb, and she recalled with regret the events that had happened when the Spanish had all but razed the island to the ground.

Even after losing his wife because of his selfish actions, Rogers seemed to have learned nothing from them. He was intent on moving forth with his war with renewed and blind vigor. Defeating him wouldn't easy. It would take not only force but carefully planned strategy to take him down. She had to watch him, learn his weaknesses from the inside out. She had to observe him closely for however long she'd be here for. It was the only way she'd make it out alive.

She wondered what was going on outside these walls, outside this island. What were things like back home? Her mother, Flint, even Silver who thought her dead, must now all be shocked to know that she still drew breath.

Yes, she had avoided death, but her survival of the Spanish attack and the fire had complicated so many things once she had been caught. The war hung in the balance, along with her life. She was confident that her mother and Flint would still want to meet the governor head on. Silver would as well, though she knew it would be for entirely different reasons now.

She missed him. She missed his face, missed his touch. She missed how vulnerable she could be with him and he with her. She longed to be in his arms, longed to feel the comfort that could only be found in his embrace.

Tears silently slid down her face much like the tears she'd cried when she thought he'd drowned in the bay on the day of the invasion. She didn't think she'd ever seen him again, but they'd end up back in each other's arms.

She hoped that luck would shine on them in the same way now.

* * *

 _Maroon Island ~ the Past_

The walk from the shore back to the village did little to take Madi's mind off of the kiss she'd shared with Silver. If anything the kiss had opened a door that was simply ajar, and all either of them had to do was enter from any side. They spoke to each other in hushed tones, mindful of the hour of night. They walked close to each other, shoulders touching every few steps, and as they neared her hut, his hand landed on the small of her back.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed your sleep earlier," he said, a genuine smile on his face. "No doubt you're eager to get back to bed."

"Something tells me that that was not the only sleep I am going to lose because of you."

She left his side and stood in front of him. Face to face, there was nowhere either of them could run. And she knew instinctively that he had no desire to do so. "Would you like to come inside?"

Without waiting for him to respond, she took his hand and led him inside. The lamp landed on the table closest to the entrance when they entered, and she closed the door behind them. She quietly lit the three candles on her nightstand and set the wick for her bowl of perfumed oils next to it ablaze. The scent of cinnamon, pine and hibiscus filled the room.

Madi knew that she didn't want to leave his company just yet. That was part of the reason that she'd invited him into her home. The other reason was causing butterflies in her stomach to form, and she looked around the room in an attempt to quiet them.

Her eyes landed on a bowl of fruit, and Silver watched her while she handled one before she picked it up. He sensed her hesitation, how she now played coy since he was so close.

 _We've switched roles_ , he thought as he smiled.

Somehow when they were on Skull Island, she had taken a step towards him while he was the one who cautioned himself to hold back. Now that he was here, however, he knew there was no turning back.

"Have you ever tasted the fruit of the sapodilla tree before?"

"No," he answered, softly. "I haven't." His eyes moved from hers to the fruit in her hand.

"You should," she said as she broke it apart. "It's soft inside and out, has a bit of a sticky aftertaste…" she walked toward him, and Silver couldn't help thinking how beautiful her skin looked in the golden light of the candles. She seemed almost ethereal, her voice angelic. "…but the juice is incredibly sweet."

She pressed a piece of it to his lips, and as he took it into his mouth he found it was just sweet as she promised. He swallowed as he watched her take a bite of the other half, discard the skin in the trash. A bit of the nectar drizzled down the side of her mouth, and she licked at the spot, making his cock swell against his breeches. He closed the gap between them, the taste of it still on his tongue. It had indeed been good, but there was fruit of another kind that he wished to sample.

He cupped her face and ran the pad of his thumb gently over her lips before he claimed them. The touch of her mouth set his body on fire. Her lips, her tongue, her hands as they moved up and down his back were all working in concert, igniting a flame in him that began to burn out of control. He wrapped her in his embrace, held onto her hips and pulled her closer to the hardness between his legs.

She moaned softly against his mouth, and he felt her fingers as they unfastened the tie that held his hair back from his face. Her fingers lightly moved across his scalp, through his hair, and each touch sent pleasure to every nerve ending in his body.

"Madi…" he groaned near her ear while his mouth trailed down her neckline. She inched closer still, and her hands moved underneath his waistcoat. "Madi, if you want to back out now, just please let me know." His voice was husky, deep, and heavy with all the desire he felt. "I promise I will have no hard feelings about it, but right now, I just want to see you, and I want to touch you. I want to be with you. More than anything."

"As do I," she replied. "We've been moving towards this moment for some time now. I don't think either of us will have any regrets after tonight."

Madi kissed him hard, fisted her hands into his shirt and pulled it free of his breeches. She felt his warm skin flutter underneath her palms and moved them upwards to his nipples. She enjoyed the ragged sound of his breathing as she circled them with the pads of her thumbs.

His hands were busy too; slipping underneath the waistband of her skirt and drawing it down till it hit the floor. She pushed his coat from his shoulders, helped him out of it, and soon it found its place next to her skirt where it lay. Piece by piece their clothing came off, and when they were both bare Madi stared at the hardness of his body, the muscular shoulders, toned stomach and thighs. The hardness between his legs that had been concealed by his breeches was now on display. Her lips parted at the sight of it - full, hard and reaching just below his navel.

Silver couldn't decide if her skin resembled the colour of a twilight night under a harvest moon or the darkened leaves of fall. All he knew was that it was soft under his hands, smelled like coconut oil and shea butter, and her nipples puckered and swelled as he pinched them. His fingers drew small circles on her hips, fondled her ample bottom.

He led them over to her bed, sat down and pulled her onto his lap. While she straddled him, he cupped her breasts and took each of them into his mouth in turn. He loved the way she moaned, loved the way her fingers dug into his back as he rolled his tongue over her nipples again and again. She bucked against his erection and when she moved her hand to circle his cock, it nearly took his breath away.

"More than a dozen battles, almost drowning and then losing a leg…" He unfastened the strap that was attached to his peg leg, let the wood and iron hit the floor. "…but I think, Madi, that you will be the death of me."

She grinned against his lips, kissed them softly while she affectionately touched his face.

"Or perhaps," she said as he drew her into the centre of the bed then underneath him. "I will be the life of you, John."

His name on her lips made his heart turn over. But as much as he tried to prolong their foreplay, he couldn't. He had to have her. Now.

"I'm sorry, darling," he said, as he parted her thighs and slipped in between them. "I just…I can't wait."

 _She's mine_ , he thought as he started to move inside her.

He hissed, gritted his teeth at how snug she felt all around him. He felt her hold her breath, felt her clench around his length as she pulled him further in.

 _You're mine_ , he thought as he spread her legs a little wider. _All mine_ , as he rocked his hips from side to side to stretch her out a little. He slid his tongue into her mouth while he slowly withdrew. The need for friction and movement was taking over, and when he plunged back into her warmth, she started to shake.

Silver got lost in her, lost in her touch, lost in the soft moans that left her mouth. Every stroke made her his, every kiss and touch branded her name all over his soul, and he finally found in her that lifeline to drag him out of the depths of darkness.

Madi arched her back and held on. She ran her fingers through his hair and he kissed her hard. Kissed her harder still while he spread her legs wide and thrust deeper and deeper. She felt his eyes on her, even when she buried the side of her face into the pillow. She felt him watch her as she bit her bottom lip to stifle the loud scream that wanted to escape her mouth.

"Look at me," he whispered. "Look at me."

He thumbed her cheek, pleading with her to open her eyes. What she saw in those light blue depths was not only the ecstasy that had engulfed them both, but a powerful tide of emotion that touched her deeply. The quickened pace of his strokes coupled with the intense feeling that they were now irrevocably tied together was pushing her toward the edge.

She'd tried to temper her vocal responses, but the whimpers that now left her lips were incapable of being held back any longer. The tremors that had rocked her legs before had now taken over her entire body. She cupped his cheeks, a deep flush moved over his face and shoulders. His breath quickened, and she bit his bottom lip as the full force of her orgasm shook her.

"Look at me," he said again, when she began to close her eyes.

She met his gaze again, moaning her release as he stiffened atop her. He pressed her further into the bedding as he spilled his seed inside her. He kissed her over and over, touched his lips to her neck and shoulders, delicately holding her while they both shivered in the afterglow of their love making.

He let her rest for a while, cradled her to his chest, and then he proceed to kiss her all over. He didn't seem to want to leave one inch of her skin untouched. He bit and licked and kissed and caressed until she was grabbing at him, longing for him to take her again. When he entered her the second time, he prolonged their lovemaking, plunged in deep, driving her to depths she never thought she could reach. He made her come hard, holding her and kissing her and calling her name in the sweetest way.

"I've never had this before, Madi," he said lazily a while later.

"Never had what?" she asked, trailing her fingers over his torso. Beside her with his hair draped over the pillow she couldn't help thinking that he looked like a wild lion, not fully tamed, but just content after it had conquered its prey.

"This here, with you. And I don't just mean _this_ , I mean all of it. And now that I've found this…found you…I don't think that I could ever give this up."

"Let us hope that neither of us ever have to, for I have never had this either."

* * *

 _Nassau ~ Present Day_

" _If this goes away…Flint's war…if it all ended and we had to walk away from it…would I be enough for you?"_

Madi heard the echo of Silver's question as her eyes fluttered open. She'd been dreaming, and even in sleep, her heart still yearned to be near him.

She hadn't been able to answer him that day, and he'd taken her silence to mean that perhaps he was more emotionally invested in their relationship than she was. It couldn't be further from the truth. She had counted the cost of this war in the days following their conversation, had mulled over what life with him would be like if she'd walked away from everything and everyone else. She'd told him once before that she was willing to follow him wherever he led, and she'd meant it.

She knew though, that his question at that moment had a lot to do with his inability to make a decision about Billy as it did with him wanting to simply be with her. She knew that the darkness that he channeled in the tavern here in Nassau when he killed Dufresne was the same darkness he would need to defeat the governor and reclaim the island.

Something deep inside her told her that his transformation into that dark thing was drawing nigh. Tears slid down her cheeks as she sat up. She hoped that after they were reunited, he wouldn't be too far removed from the man she truly knew him to be.

 _The man that I love_ , she thought.

* * *

Silver awoke with a scowl and the feel of someone nudging him awake. He opened his eyes to see Flint standing over him pushing a saucer in his direction. Silver eyed it as he slowly sat upright, then took it. He bit down on the piece of baked bread and happily ate it.

"I figured you'd be hungry," Flint said.

Silver had been so consumed with thoughts of Madi and Flint's plan that he still didn't fully support that he hadn't had much of an appetite. The bread felt good going down, however, and he felt the better for it.

"Thank you."

He heard Israel's words in his ears again, and his thoughts that had immediately followed, thoughts of what he'd have to do if Flint's plan failed like he feared it would.

"We'll be in Nassau in about six hours, and if all goes according to plan, you'll be reunited with Madi soon."

He didn't respond, simply nodded, and Flint left him alone to his thoughts

"I will see you soon, Madi," he said quietly, his voice taking on a most menacing tone. "One way or the other, I _will_ see you soon."


End file.
